


the hardest argument to refute

by aformofmotion



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Kinda, M/M, Sex Pollen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-23 12:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aformofmotion/pseuds/aformofmotion
Summary: Trope Reverasal Prompt: "SEX POLLEN: One of the boys gets hit by sex pollen, but it’s a pollen that causes the person hit to LOSE their ability to function sexually for a month. Up until that point, Jim and Bones had been doing the casual fuck-buddies thing. Now that they can’t have sex, there’s no point in them staying over in each others’ quarters, or sharing a bed, or cuddling. Right? Then why are both of them miserable now that they have no excuse to do those things?"





	the hardest argument to refute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ussmckirk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ussmckirk/gifts).



> Originally posted on tumblr in terrible tumblrfic format in 2015.
> 
> “Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”  
> ~Josh Billings

Once Jim and Bones fall into bed together they don’t ever exactly fall out of it, not really. That’s probably weird in retrospect, three years of supposedly meaningless sex and never sleeping apart unless one of them was in a hospital. 

And then they get hit with anti sex pollen on an away mission. Christine pretty much laughs them out of sickbay when she explains what it does, which is _completely unfair_ because Jim is the _Captain_  and Bones is her _boss_. (She doesn’t care because it’s _hilarious_.) 

It’s definitely weird for them going back to separate quarters after dinner. It’s weird the first time and the second time and the whole next week.

Jim is surprised how hard it is to fall asleep alone again, without bones’ arms around him or the sound of someone else breathing. It’s disconcerting waking up in the middle of the night feeling like he’s missing something so important it hurts. He stops sleeping, because what are healthy life choices, and goes to sit in the observation deck at night instead, 

Bones finds him there in the middle of the third week."Couldn’t sleep?" 

Jim shrugs. 

"Wanna talk about it?" 

Jim shrugs again, then mumbles, "I miss you." 

"You saw me less than six hours ago," Bones says, eyebrows raised in amusement. 

A muscle in Jim’s jaw twitches like he’s holding himself back, but he doesn't say anything.

Bones just barely keeps his jaw from physically dropping at the revelation. He moves immediately to drag Jim to his feet, and then toward the door. 

"Bones what are you…?" Jim protests weakly, but he’s so tired he doesn’t even finish the question and just lets Bones lead him through the ship. The next time he blinks they’re back in Bones’ quarters and Jim turns to look at him all bleary eyed confusion. Bones just topples him into the bed and climbs in after him.

Jim manages to stay awake long enough to drag Bones' arm around himself. "'m sorry Bones," he mumbles. "Didn’t mean to get so attached." 

Bones doesn’t have the words for how upsetting it is that jim think that’s a thing he has to _apologize_  for, so he just holds him tighter.

 

 

He wakes up in the morning to Jim panicking and rolls over and kisses him quiet before jim can start babbling.

Jim is so surprised he just sits there like a lump for a minute. "This isn’t leading to anything." As if Bones doesn’t know how much longer the pollen’s effects are going to last.

He rolls his eyes. "Obviously."

"Then why-?"

"I dunno, cos it’s nice?" 

Jim is still confused, holding him back with a hand on his chest. "But Bones-"

Bones sighs and flops back onto his back. "It’s fine, Jim. If you don’t want to kiss me you can just say so." He rolls out of bed. 

Jim squawks indignantly. "Hey, no, come back here, that wasn’t what I meant." 

"Then what did you mean?"

"It’s just… why haven’t we done this before?" 

"Because you’re an impatient little shit, mostly." He disappears into the bathroom and shuts the door.

Jim sits there for a minute, still really confused, and lets himself out when he hears the shower start.

 

 

"And you just _left?!_ " Gaila demands as soon as he finishes telling her about it. 

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" 

" _Anything_." She smacks him upside the head.

"Ow! Gaila! You can’t hit me, I’m the Captain!" 

"You deserved it. Oh my god, I know you’re still emotionally twelve years old-"

"Hey!"

"-but even you can’t be this dumb."

"Pretty sure i should be insulted right now, G." 

"Doesn’t make me any less right. Jim, you _like_  him." 

He frowns. "Of course I like him, he’s my best friend." 

"Not like that. And not sexually, either." 

"No, I definitely like him sexually." 

She thwaps him again.

"Ow!" He rubs his head. "Stop that!" 

" _Romantically_ , dumbass. You like Leonard romantically."

"Oh." 

"'Oh.'" She rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Jim. He likes you too, if it helps." 

"So I should…"

"Go ask him out instead of gaping at me like a limbless aquatic vertebrate? yes. Go. _Now_."

 

 

Which is how he ends up at Bones’ door slightly out of breath and blushing. 

"GailasaysIlikeyouandyoulikemesodoyouwannagoonadatesometimemaybe?"

Bones stares at him for long enough that he starts to fidget, then moves out of the way to let him in. After the door closes, he crosses his arms. "I heard _Gaila_  and _maybe_ , so try that again a little slower."

Jim blushes bright red and stutters it out again with a squeaky hopeful "Please?" tacked on the end.

Bones eyebrows at him. "You want to _date_  me?" 

"Yes? Why do you sound confused?" 

"I kissed you and you snuck out while I was showering, Jim." 

"I didn’t _sneak_ … and Gaila already told me how stupid that was," he says sheepishly. "And she hit me for it."

"Did she?" Bones is clearly trying not to smile. 

" _Twice_." 

Bones waves him toward the couch. "Sit down." He paces the floor twice before sitting down opposite him. "Do you even know how dating works?" 

"Well… it’s just like what we’ve been doing, isn’t it? Only you're monogamous, so exclusively and with declarations of love."

"Love, huh?" 

Jim doesn’t answer, but he also doesn’t break eye contact until Bones does.

"Are you sure?" He holds his hand up quickly to forestall Jim's answer. "Really think about it, Jim, because we don’t come back from it if you change your mind when your sex drive comes back."

Jim frowns defensively. "Come on, Bones, it’s not like that." Bones glares at him, so he adds, "Of course I’m sure." 

Bones' expression softens as he looks at him appraisingly. Jim holds his breath. 

"Okay," Bones says, nodding decisively. "Fine."


End file.
